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Captain Strauss to be rested

Author: John Harris
Date: 20/01/2010
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England captain Andrew Strauss will miss the Test series in Bangladesh in March after the England selectors opted to give their overworked leader a rest.

The decision, which has been met by a mixed reception among commentators and players, means that Alastair Cook will take up the reins, with the opening batsman being groomed as Strauss' eventual successor.

Respected BBC Cricket correspondent Jonathan Agnew stated: "It is the captain's task to mould the team and Strauss will not be there to do so - something some of the other players in the group might also resent."

Strauss is the only player to be given a rest with the only other senior player to sit out the Bangladesh trip being fast bowler James Anderson, who is being troubled by a knee injury.

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That could leave the likes of Paul Collingwood and Kevin Pietersen wondering when they will get a break, with Strauss already having bowed out of the international Twenty20 picture.

The remainder of the England squad will face Pakistan in two T20 internationals, Bangladesh in three ODIs and two Tests and then head to the Caribbean for the World Twenty20 before Strauss returns to the fold.

Given England's batting woes in the drawn Test series in South Africa and Strauss' own poor return, the England selectors must have been tempted to ensure that their leader was given a chance to regain his touch in the middle.

However, one of Strauss' immediate predecessors, Michael Vaughan, believes that the decision will pay off in the long run.

He commented: "I look at the bigger picture, we need him fit and fresh later Down Under.

"Because I never got a break I look back at it now and wish there was a time when I could have had a three-month break. Andrew Strauss could have that now and it might rejuvenate him."

The England selection team were concerned about Strauss' commitments in the next 18 months, with summer Test series against Bangladesh and Pakistan on the immediate horizon.

Then Strauss will lead his men to Australia in the winter, as they attempt to retain the Ashes and secure a first series win Down Under since 1986-87.

If they are successful, no-one will be worried about Strauss having been given an extended break, they will only be too happy to jump on the bandwagon.

A further chance of glory will arrive soon after the Ashes, with the 2011 World Cup on the Indian sub-continent, meaning that Strauss' reputation could be higher than any other England captain if he leads his side to double glory.

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